Unpleasantly Restored
by LoneDesolateWriter
Summary: Post HOO, forced into his 11 year old body, Nico reluctantly goes to Hogwarts to destroy the Philosopher's Stone. Before he even gets inside the castle, Nico makes some unplanned enemies, expected friends, and dramatic entrances, much to his dismay. So much for discretion...
1. Chapter 1

Nico slid into an empty compartment. The son of Hades had been several minutes early, if the emptiness of the train was anything to go by. He had been sent as a quest for Hades to destroy the philosopher's stone along with the blessing of Hecate so that he could properly blend in. In addition, he'd been returned to his 11 year old body, and it irritated him greatly. Fortunately, all of his powers were intact. He absentmindedly watched various wizards and witches bounce around outside, excitement flowing in their veins.

Within minutes, the train was bustling with noise. In fact, two people just opened the door to his compartment. There was another presence, one that Nico couldn't identify, but he shook it off. One was a boy with the most messiest hair Nico had ever seen, and another was a boy with red, orange fire like hair. The black haired boy was scarily similar to Percy Jackson, and it freaked Nico out.

"Hi, do you mind if we sit here?" the red one asked.

Nico waved his hand as if to say, "go ahead". The two sat across from each other, both grinning wolfishly.

"So are you really Harry Potter?" the orange inquired, voice full of curiosity.

Nico perked slightly at the name. Harry Potter, the one Tom Riddle was targeting, the one that had survived death. The one his dad sometimes grumbled about. The one forcing a backlog of paperwork and jams. Nico was about to kill two birds with one stone, as he was almost certain Riddle would come back to finish the job on Harry.

Harry pushed up his hair with his hand and exposed a bright red scar in the shape of a lightning bolt. Nico looked at it and immediately felt what had bugged him. A tiny piece of Riddle's soul was in Harry. He felt it peacefully resting in Harry, unable to be taken out without death to the host. How unfortunate. Nico really didn't want to kill Harry to kill Tom Riddle, seeing as it will anger Hecate very much.

"Cool!" the orange one exclaimed. "I'm Ron. Ron Weasley."

The boy turned to Nico and asked, "Who're you?"

"Nico di Angelo," he replied.

Just then a cart rolled in front of their compartment. An array of sweets Nico hadn't seen before lay atop the cart, their dazzling colors making his mouth water. Nico shook his head to clear it, and slumped against his chair.

"Care for some sweets, kids?" the lady asked, voice light and sweet.

Harry looked back at the two and smiled, "We'll take the whole cart."

The lady looked surprise for a moment, but quickly regained herself and dished out the entire cart to them while Harry gave her a large bag jingling with coins. Ron eagerly dug into the chocolates and Harry quickly followed. Nico politely declined, as he wasn't hungry. They shrugged and continued to eat.

Silence, save for the sound of food being devoured, stretched on until the compartment door slid open once more to reveal a girl with bushy brown, gold hair.

"Have any of you seen a toad?" she asked, every word clear and precise.

They all shook their heads "no", and Ron pulled out his wand.

"Are you doing magic? Let's have at it then," the same girl said, sitting down next to Ron who then pulled out his rat.

Ron took a deep breath and recited, "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow."

Nico stifled the urge to smile as he heard the "spell" worthy of Apollo.

As the rat stayed grey, the girl rambled, "Are you sure that's a real spell? I've tried a couple at home and they've all worked for me. Nobody in my family's able to do magic, so it was quite a surprise when my letter came. I hope I'm good enough, I've read all of the course books, and I've heard Hogwarts is the best school of witchcraft there is. Oh, by the way, my name's Hermione Granger, and who are you?"

Nico widened his eyes at how much she resembled a daughter of Athena and how much she reminded him of Annabeth, bright, young, and smart. He saw out of the corner of his eye, Harry and Ron exchanging fearful glances, most likely about if they were good enough.

"Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Nico di Angelo," he chimed in.

"Harry Potter," Harry said.

"Are you really?" Hermione asked. "I've read about you in a couple of books."

"Books, really?" Harry said, dazed.

"Of course, anyway, do any of you know what house you're going to be in? I've been asking around, and it sounds like Gryffindor's the best. I hope I'm in it, I've heard Dumbledore himself was in it, anyway we better keep looking for Neville's toad. You three better start changing, we're almost there."

Hermione left with a swish, and the three boys looked at each other.

"All of my family's been in Gryffindor. I don't know what'd they say if I weren't," Ron sighed.

"What other houses are there?" Harry asked.

"Well there's Gryffindor, the brave, Hufflepuff, the loyal, Ravenclaw, the smart, and Slytherin, the cunning,"

"Wasn't Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who in Slytherin?"

Ron nodded, "Yeah, cunning's just another word for evil. All of the evil wizards and witches come from it."

Nico frowned slightly as he listened to their conversation. He toyed with the hem of his jacket. The two boys started talking about "Quidditch", but he tuned them out. The son of Hades wondered what house he would be sorted in, perhaps he'd be put in the notorious Slytherin. He thought that Slytherin couldn't be all bad, there must be at least some good witches and wizards in it. Just then, the compartment door slid open once more, but this time there was a blond haired boy flanked by two large bodyguard like boys.

"It's true isn't it? You're Harry Potter," the blond gestured at Harry.

Harry eyed the two bulkier boys, "Yes."

"Crabbe, Goyle," the pale boy said carelessly, "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Draco looked over at Ron and scowled, "Oh, a Weasley. My father's told me all about them, red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

Ron frowned just as Draco turned to Nico and asked, "And who are you?"

"Nico di Angelo," he replied nonchalantly.

"Di Angelo? Where are you from?"

"America."

"Why come here?"

"School's better."

Apparently satisfied, Draco Malfoy addressed to Harry and Nico, "Good, you'll both find that some wizarding families are better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

"No thank you," Nico refused just as Harry said coolly, "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are, thanks."

Draco narrowed his eyes, "I'd be careful if I were you. Unless you're a bit politer you will go out the same way as your parents, Potter. And di Angelo, you're going to want to start out somewhere good. You hang out with these people, and they'll rub off on you."

"Say that again," Ron threatened, face red.

"Going to fight us, huh?" Draco sneered.

"No," Nico said, causing everyone to look at him. "They aren't worth the effort."

"Scared, huh?" Draco taunted as Nico gave off a cool air of indifference.

"We're not scared!" Ron angrily yelled.

"Oh really?" Draco scoffed as Goyle forced himself into the compartment.

Ron hurriedly ducked as Goyle swung his fist at him. Eyes wide, Harry stood up and held off Goyle, as Ron turned to face Crabbe. Several uneaten sweets flew into the air as the boys struggled and fought. Nico stood, waiting for the perfect opportunity to help his new acquaintances. Draco stood, pleased in the background, watching his goons fight. Ron ran out of the way when Harry somehow managed to push Goyle across the compartment and into Crabbe. The force knocked the wind out of the two students, and a frown encased itself upon Draco's face.

Harry and Ron smiled at their triumph, but Nico saw the imminent sign of danger as Draco pulled out a brown stick, a wand. Halfway through his incantation, Draco lifted his wand just as Nico stealthily twisted said arm behind the blond boy's back. Draco dropped the wand in shock, and Ron picked it up.

"What is going on in here?" a familiar bushy haired girl cried out.

Nico dropped Draco's arm as Hermione Granger stood in the hall, a look of surprise on her face. The compartment was a mess, sweets were strewn across the floor and the other boys had light streaks of blood on their faces. Malfoy scowled at the sight of Hermione.

He waved his two bodyguards over and warned darkly, "My father will hear about this."

Nico sighed. _So much for avoiding trouble_, he thought. Malfoy then pushed roughly past Hermione and left.

"Those two came in here, and tried to beat us up!" Ron muttered.

"Over what?" Hermione asked.

"Over nothing! They're Malfoys! The Malfoys are always evil, they were one of the first to come back after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched, my dad doesn't believe it,"

Hermione frowned and shook her head, "I'll tell the teachers, but I can't believe it, term hasn't even started yet and you've already found trouble. You'd better change into your robes, we're almost there. You don't want to get into anymore trouble now, do you?"

She left in a flurry of bouncy hair. Ron glared after she left. Nico looked out the window and saw that indeed, the train did seem to be slowing down. The sky was a rich purple, dotted with vast forests and large mountains. He wondered how Hogwarts looked like. The trio changed quickly into their robes, and Nico frowned at how impractical they were. Long and heavy, they hindered his movements greatly. He'll probably trip over them several times. He saw that Ron's robe was slightly shorter than him while Harry's and his own fit perfectly.

An announcement came overhead, saying that there were five minutes until the train official docked. Nico looked around and saw that Harry and Ron had matching looks of anticipation. He himself felt slight excitement, but his face betrayed no emotion. He blamed the sudden, bubbling excitement as a side effect of being in his 11 year old body.

They bumbled into the hall along with all of the other students. Nico grimaced at the sheer amount of people. They hurried out into the darkness of the night, and Nico exhaled, finally away from all of the people. The other students shivered in the chilly night, but he reveled in the familiar air. A lantern suddenly cast light onto all of the students.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" a booming voice directed.


	2. Chapter 2

Nico glanced up and saw a large, hairy human creature. Seeing that Harry eagerly went to greet the large man, Nico followed. They followed the man called "Hagrid" to a shining lake. Nico's breath immediately hitched as the students climbed onto the boats. He stopped in the middle of the crowd, and several students bumped into him.

He hastily whispered, "Sorry."

He looked around as the crowd slowly dissipated onto the boats. Three plans formed in his mind. He could either get in boat and hope to Poseidon that he won't drown, get in the boat and dump in a couple of drachmas but increase the chance of being discovered, or he could shadow travel past the lake. The third option won, and he backed off into the trees, hoping no one saw him.

He watched the students depart from inside the woods and into a tunnel in the cliffs. Nico didn't know where the tunnel went. He had an idea of where it went, but he didn't know if it would be enough to successfully shadow travel there. _Too late now_, he grimly thought. As he was about to depart, he noticed something silvery flowing from the woods. Curious, he followed it deeper into the forest. The liquid curiously stank of death, and Nico couldn't remember why it seemed so familiar.

The liquid ran deep into the woods as if forming a river. Finally, Nico found the source of the liquid. The silvery substance flowed out of a pure white horse. Nico's eyes widened. It wasn't an ordinary horse, it was a unicorn. Innocent creatures created by accident. He'd heard they were the result of a spat between his dad and Poseidon. A horse with the blood to defy death - at a terrible price. Nico thought they were extinct, but the gleaming white creature proved him wrong. The unicorn had a look of absolute terror, and Nico couldn't help but feel sorry for it.

He bent down to inspect it, and an arrow suddenly pierced his outstretched arm. He felt a slight snap of bone, and a sharp stabbing pain raced up alongside the familiar course of adrenaline. His head whipped up and another arrow pierced through the air, thankfully missing where his neck had been. He hissed in pain and drew out his sword with his left hand. Of course he had to get into trouble before school started.

"Your kind is not welcome here," a loud voice stated.

Nico turned toward the location of the sound, "I'm going."

A black centaur galloped out of the shadows. Nico frowned. This was one of Chiron's brothers. Their faces were different, Chiron's soft and wise while this centaur was hard and wild. He doubted the centaur was as friendly as Chiron was. His grip on his sword tightened.

"Son of Hades, you understand death well, do you not? It's a natural occurrence, drinking unicorn blood only delays it. And a demigod so young," the centaur muttered.

Nico frowned. His scent must've gave his secret away, but it didn't explain what the centaur ment. Surely he didn't think Nico killed and drank the blood of a unicorn. The sudden arrow pointed in his direction said otherwise. The stabbing pain in his arm reminded him of the arrow still stuck in it. The centaur showed no emotion. Several plans fluttered through his head. He tensed, ready to move as the tension sharpened. The throbbing pain dimmed and his senses heightened.

Suddenly, there was a sound in the bushes, and the shadows wrapped itself around the centaur. The black centaur was nearly invisible in the shadows, but Nico knew that he wouldn't move. The centaur twitched, but the shadows held on. Nico walked closer to the centaur, and the bushes rustled again. The shadows enlarged and engulfed the forest. Sweat poured down his face as he manipulated the shadows like a silent shield. His breaths came out ragged, and he braced himself.

"Bane? Oh, hello young demigod. I did not think we would meet so early," said a massive centaur.

Nico turned toward the newest centaur. It was as large as the other one, but it came a calm air of sorts. He brandished his sword, ready to attack. The shadows swirled around impatiently.

"Firenze! I have found the unicorn killer, he is this boy right here," Bane told.

Nico froze and said, "I didn't kill the unicorn."

The tall, black centaur known as "Firenze" glanced over Nico, "I do not believe he is the killer, Bane."

"Demigods go around, causing enough trouble as it is. This son of Hades is no different."

"Son of Hades, let Bane go, he will do you no harm."

Nico hesitated. Another centaur? He wondered if he should trust the centaur, but something in him believed he could be trusted. Plus, he was getting tired of controlling the shadows. He released his hold on Bane and staggered. The world spun and he gripped his head, before realizing he moved the arm with the arrow in it. He grimaced.

"Look at him, he is still young, how could he kill a unicorn? He can barely hold himself up," the voice of Firenze observed.

Nico distantly heard a gruff of agreement, and a hand helped steady him up.

"We are not to interact with them," Bane hissed.

Nico ignored the two as he stood up, half leaning on the centaur. Things were starting to clear up.

"Come, I'll take you to Hogwarts," Firenze said quietly.

Nico shook his head, "I can get there myself, you two can find out who killed the unicorn."

Bane, satisfied with Nico's refusal, turned and left. Firenze sighed and went after him, but not before glancing several times toward Nico. Nico knew that the next time they meet, it wouldn't end as peacefully again. The dark haired boy waited for the sound of their steps to fade, and closed his eyes. He willed the shadows to engulf him, and he disappeared in a smoke of darkness. He reappeared in the forests next to the castle. The thought of a long nap greatly appealed to him. His muscles ached, and the arrow was still in his arm.

Nico scowled. Pulling it out now would cause further blood loss, but it would attract less attention. Besides, there was most likely a nurse of some sort ready to treat him. He grit his teeth. Pulling the arrow out would be devastating. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused the shadows to form around the arrow. Slowly, he extracted the arrow from his arm. It felt like a hot knife was scraping away the inside of his arm, and he bit down on his tongue to keep from crying out. His arm tingled as the arrow was removed and dropped on the ground. Warm, iron blood started flowing out. Nico quickly ripped off a piece of his robe and made a makeshift sling for his arm. The pain sent dots to his vision. It was like a papercut compared to the pain he'd endured before, but it still hurt viciously. Nico shook his head and returned his mind to the task at hand. He blocked out the pain and gazed upon the wooden doors of Hogwarts. He took a deep breath, and opened the doors.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So... I may have forgotten to put in this chapter for several months. Oops? I also have other chapters done, but not the whole story. (sorry, sorry, I like to write a lot of a story before publishing) I still have the general idea; however, once I upload all of the chapters I have done, it'll probably be another long wait before I can dish out a fresh, new chapter that's actually in my current writing style. Ah, I haven't read BOO yet, so please no spoilers! (can't wait to read it, though)**

**Edit: Thanks to the guest for notifying me of the mistake!**

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On the inside, Nico winced at the loud creak the door was making, but his face showed no emotion. Hogwarts was gigantic, great, long tables extended beyond sight, beautiful enchanted lanterns dotted the airs, wispy ghosts standing stone still, and most importantly, the hundreds of students staring, wide eyed at him. He eyed the ghosts then remembered that Hades had already granted permission for them to live with the living. He must've been a sight, blood trickling through his makeshift bandage, ripped robes, and dirt splatters everywhere.

Several tense seconds rolled by until the tall, black haired, older witch stood and greeted, "Ah, you must be Nico di Angelo. Can you please come here?"

Nico walked over to her, persistently ignoring all of the stares boring into his head. The familiar messy hair of Harry Potter came into view. Nico noted Harry was sitting with other Gryffindors. He caught Harry's eye and told him silently, _I'll explain later_. The witch beckoned for him to sit on the stool, and he complied.

"My name is Minerva McGonagall," she introduced. "Now Nico, do you know of the four houses of Hogwarts?"

He nodded. Although he only had a brief lesson about them on the train, he didn't want to prolong his suffering any longer.

The look on her face showed that she didn't buy his answer, but she explained, "This is the sorting hat, it will sort you into one of the four houses."

She put the wrinkled, old hat on his head. As he wondered how a hat would sort him, a voice jostled his thoughts.

"Hmm… you're quite difficult, almost as difficult as the last one," a small voice said.

_Hmm?_ He thought.

"You have the courage of a Gryffindor and the loyalty of a Hufflepuff," the voice whispered. "You have endured much, yes I know you're a demigod, but you still have the unbreakable loyalty of a Hufflepuff, though it is hard to gain. Ah, Hufflepuff will help you-"

_I need to be in Gryffindor_, he thought fiercely.

"I see. If times were different, Hufflepuff would've led you onto greatness. Alright, GRYFFINDOR!"

Nico heard the last word echoing through the hall. Clapping happened instantly, but Nico could tell it was slightly nervous and forced. His expression darkened a little. He slipped off the stool and gave the hat back to Professor McGonagall.

She gestured to his arm, "I'll take you to Madam Pomfrey, the healer, to have a look at that arm."

A witch in a red and white nurse uniform made her way from the High Table to Nico, pulled out her wand, and muttered a soft incantation. He instantly felt better as his arm repaired itself and left behind a cool, fresh feeling. However, the feeling didn't last long. It was suddenly replaced with a burning feeling, as if his arm rejected the magic - which it probably did. Madam Pomfrey took off the bandages and inspected the wound. It was closed, but the skin around it was irritated and red. She frowned. The healer probed the skin, and Nico tried not to hiss in pain.

"If it starts acting up, make sure to come to me, alright? Just ask around for me," she tutted.

Nico nodded. He found his way to the Gryffindor table where Harry sat with several other redheads, the Weasleys. They all smiled at him and congratulated him, and Nico's face brightened minutely. The oldest introduced himself as, "Percy". The name tugged at Nico's heartstrings. His face grew darker, but when the two twins introduced themselves, he lightened up again. They reminded him of the Stolls brothers, tricksters worthy of Hermes himself. He brightened up at the thought of camp. After the Giant War, everyone's spirits and attitudes had changed, bringing acceptance to him, although he still had doubts about the depths of the acceptance.

The older wizard at the very center of the High Table stood up, with a genuine smile and beamed, "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! I am Professor Dumbledore. Before we begin the banquet, I'd like to say a few words. They are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

A smile twitched at Nico's lips. Everyone clapped and cheered for the professor. A couple of first years turned toward each other in mixed confusion. He heard Harry asking Percy about Professor Dumbledore. Best wizard in the world, Percy called him. Nico watched as food suddenly filled itself on top of plates - almost like the ones at Camp Half-Blood. There were foods he'd never seen before, all deliciously steaming, waiting to be eaten. His stomach growled, but he couldn't eat, not yet.

Nico looked around for any sort of fire. He sighed at the lack of a fire and toyed with the thought of eating without sacrificing some to the gods first. A candle floated down to him, a soft smell of simple lavender. He looked at the glowing - fire! Although it was small, he was sure that if he just gathered more candles, he'd have a smallish fire. He reached out and plucked candles from the air and brought the flames together. Carefully, he swiped bits and pieces of various foods into the fire. It wasn't the best method, but it got the job done. The other wizards and witches looked at him quizzically, but he didn't care. He wasn't even one of their kind, anyway.

Smiling, he dug into his food. His 11 year old body was even effecting his appetite, much to his dismay and happiness. Usually he could stand days without food, but he knew his young body wouldn't take that much stress. On the other hand, the flavor of food improved immensely. He ate with as much gusto as Harry.

"So, Nico, why were you so late to the feast, and what happened to your arm?" Ron asked, mouth full of food.

Nico wiped his mouth with his sleeve, "I got lost in the forest."

"How'd you get lost? I thought you were with us the entire time,"

"I, um, tripped and, um, I kind of fell on my arm when we were in the forest. When I got up and figured out what happened to my arm, I couldn't see you guys anymore," Nico lied. "It took a long time for me to find a way out of the forest since it was getting dark, and I couldn't see."

"Wow, did you see any trolls or wolves or monsters?" a sandy haired boy questioned.

Nico shook his head, "I guess it was so dark that either I couldn't see them, or they couldn't see me, thankfully."

The boys nodded, curiosity satisfied, and they went back to eating. Harry looked shocked at all of the monsters that apparently inhabited the forests. Out of the corner of his eye, Nico saw a ghost hovering uncertainly near them. He sent out a friendly vibe to the ghost, and the ghost hesitantly made its way over to him.

"How does the food taste, m-my-" the ghost stopped when Nico shot him a look.

"It's very good," Nico said quietly so that only the ghost can hear him, "I'd prefer if you didn't treat me any different, I'm on a quest, after all."

The ghost nodded furiously, "Hello fellow Gryffindors. Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor tower. Pleasure to meet all of you."

Fortunately for Nico, the suspicions of his fellow classmates were wiped away once Sir Nicholas started talking.

"I know who you are!" Ron shouted excitedly, "You're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"Well-" Nick started.

"Nearly headless? How can you be nearly headless?" the sandy haired boy questioned.

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, and Nico had to fight down a burst of snickers. In a short amount of time, Nico had scanned the ghost and found how he had died, as well as the ghost's failed membership in a certain Headless Hunt.

"Like this," he grumbled, taking hold of his left ear and effectively pulling his head off, just barely holding onto his neck by a thread of skin.

Shocked gasps went around the table, sending a pleased look on Nearly Headless Nick's face. He placed his head back on and started talking about Quidditch. Nico tried to listen, but was immediately disinterested. He allowed his mind to wander, wondering where the philosopher's stone was. He could feel it in the castle somewhere since a stone with massive immortality powers wasn't exactly hard to miss, but he didn't know where exactly it was. He tried following the aura, but it just led him into multiple dead ends and splitting headaches. Nico picked at his food when suddenly it changed into a colorful array of desserts. He was instantly reminded of Percy's blue birthday cake.

Suddenly, he felt Harry's life aura shift, as if there was another soul in with Harry's, like a parasite - which there was. He turned toward Harry and saw that he was clutching his scar in pain. Nico followed Harry's eyes to a man with greasy black hair. He sensed something odd in one of the teachers, but he couldn't pinpoint which one. The odd aura reminded him of Riddle's, could Tom already be inside the very school?

"What is it?" Nico asked.

"N-nothing," Harry said as the pain suddenly faded away.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's that next chapter! Also, please note I actually write these chapters without dividing them up into chapters, so that's why some of it might begin or end a little weird. I'll try to get the next chapter up in approx. two weeks.  
**

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Nico scanned the High Table. The odd aura seemed the strongest around, Snape, he heard his classmates say. He looked to the left of Professor Snape and saw a man in a purple turban. Nico frowned. The man's eyes barely passed over Nico's eyes, and he felt the slightest of flickers in the man's aura. The man, Professor Quirrell, seemed to feel something was off as well. He suddenly sat stock still, and almost a feral look flashed across his face.

It was all gone, however, when Professor Dumbledore stood up and said, "The forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students."

Nico rubbed his right arm absently, and then winced as it sent sharp pain up his arm.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic shall be used in the corridors."

How do students practice magic then? Nico thought. Do they practice in their dorms and classes only?

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing should contact Madam Hooch."

"And finally, the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Nico heard Harry laugh, then sobered as no one else laughed. The others turned to converse within themselves, but Nico's mind was whirring. What could possibly be in the third floor corridor? The Philosopher's Stone, obviously. Nico honestly doubted that whatever was guarding the stone could bring him a painful death. After all, what was dangerous enough to protect the stone, and yet be tamed enough to allow some passage by Professor Dumbledore himself?

"And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" Dumbledore dismissed.

Everyone rose and followed their house heads. Nico followed in the back of the group, hoping for a chance to sneak away. The Gryffindors clustered around their common room door, and Nico, noting the password as "Seeker", trailed away from the group. He avoided the other students and slipped toward the third floor corridor. As he was about to unlock the door with a swish of his sword, a ghost suddenly popped in from the walls. Specifically, Nearly Headless Nick.

"My lord, I do not think that would be wise" the ghost said politely.

"I can face whatever's in there," Nico said. "And I prefer if you didn't call me that."

"Apologies. I should report you to Professor Dumbledore, you know," Nick mused.

Nico glared at the ghost, but the ghost held his ground. Magical ghosts were certainly different, Nico thought. It was probably because of their time outside any real authority. His glare softened at the ghost's bravery.

"And why aren't you doing that right now?" Nico asked innocently.

"That's a good question," the ghost commented. "Why do you wish to get in there?"

Nico pondered whether he should lie or not. The truth seemed to be the best option since it wouldn't really do any harm to let the Gryffindor ghost know.

"The Philosopher's Stone is in it, and I need to get it so I can destroy it," he said simply.

Nick frowned. Nico's patience was beginning to thin, as time was wasted in the pointless conversation. The ghost seemed to sense it, as Nearly Headless Nick suddenly disappeared back into the walls. Nico let out a puff of air and brought his Stygian Iron sword down on the lock. The lock easily broke, and Nico slid inside, only to be greeted by a three headed dog.

Nico's eyes grew big in surprise. The dog snarled, but quickly stopped. He sniffed Nico and tentatively bumped Nico with it's middle head, as if smelling the Underworld on him. Nico reached out and patted the dog, who smiled and rubbed its head against Nico.

"Whoa, whoa, I'm not as big as you," Nico smiled.

Nico continued to scratch the dog fondly as he scanned the room. There! He spotted a small, wooden trapdoor right behind the dog. Nico edged toward the trapdoor and the dog whined in protest.

"Don't worry, I'll come back," soothed the demigod.

He opened up the trapdoor and jumped in. Big mistake. Instantly vines wrapped itself over Nico's limbs. The room was full of the nasty vines, and Nico could barely move. The vines were thick and rough and had the resemblance of rope. He felt a vine curling around his neck and tightening. His air supply was viciously cut off, and he choked on his remaining air supply. His vision started to darken- Darkness! Shadows! Idiot! He berated himself.

He willed himself into the shadows, mentally thanking the gods that the room was so dark. The darkness swallowed him up, and he felt the familiar tight, squeezing of space that indicated shadow traveling. Within seconds he was out of the plant's grasp on onto the cold, stone floor. Nico curled in on himself as he gasped for breath. His hands clenched and unclenched, and he trembled like a leaf. His breaths came out shuttered and painful. The son of Hades coughed. Breathing returning to normal, he stood up shakily and rubbed his neck with his fingers, inspecting for any severe damages. There was a small indent on his neck, but other than that, he was fine. He ignored the scratchy, roughness of his throat and looked around the room.

The room was barren and dimly lit. It was small, and had a single mirror in the middle. It was oddly warm and comforting. Nico looked into the mirror and saw himself. His robes were slightly ripped from the vines, and his face was dark and gloomy. The son of Hades looked away. Instead, he examined the rest of the room, looking for the stone. His senses told him that the stone was in the room, but he couldn't see where it could be. The mirror was the only clue, so Nico observed the mirror. Words were inscribed in the frame of the mirror, and he looked closer. Nico frowned. He squinted at the words. The words looked nothing like gibberish, and his dyslexia wasn't helping.

"Rised...start...hero...toy...tube," Nico mumbled.

He shook his head. There was no way the words spelled that. Nico growled and glanced back into the mirror. His expression had annoyance written all over, and it suddenly reminded Nico of Hades. Nico paused. If he couldn't find the Philosopher's Stone, no doubt Hades wouldn't even look at him again, casting him aside once more and berating Nico about how much better Bianca could've done it. His fists clenched. He needed to find the stone. He needed to find the stone. Where was the-

His reflection moved. The Nico in the reflection held a blood red stone in his hand. Smirking slightly, the reflection slipped the stone into his pocket. There was a sudden weight in his own pocket, and instantly Nico knew it was the stone. A slight smile spread across his face. Although he was tired, Nico felt like he could run a mile. The shadows around the room began to darken and swirl. Nico easily walked into them and walked out into the Underworld, and promptly collapsed.

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**Edit: Okay, because I got a few reviews wondering if this was the end, I am just going to answer here and not there. This is not the end! There will be more than 5 chapters. It'll probably go over 10 if I _really_ work at it. Come on guys, after that dramatic entrance, Nico can't just leave Hogwarts. Plus, there's some odd mysteries he hasn't found the answer to yet! It'd be a little cruel to just end it here.**


	5. Chapter 5

When he came to his senses, he first noticed the cotton soft bed sheets and the bright lights. Unless they changed bedsheets and lighting in the Underworld, he wasn't in his father's domain. Panic suddenly overtook him at the absence of the Philosopher's Stone in his pockets. His eyes snapped open and he instantly regretted it. Being a child of Hades has many benefits, including the adverse effects of bright lights. He brought up his hands to block out the light that burned his eyes. Suddenly he felt a presence by his side, and he tensed.

"Nico, how are you feeling?" it was Madam Pomfrey again.

"Fine, what happened?" he asked.

"I don't know, dear. All I know is I came in here this morning and you were propped up against this very bed, and now you're awake!"

Good, Nico thought. He hadn't missed any of his classes, yet. He pushed himself upright and spotted a night black envelope sitting on the side.

The healer noticed his glance and explained, "That was there when I found you here, it's addressed to you."

Nico nodded and picked up the envelope, and looked at the clean, precise script.

"Now, as you have no injuries or illnesses, you may leave," she said.

Nico hopped off the bed. He made his way back to his dorm. A couple of students were conversing quietly in the common room, but Nico paid no attention to them. He made his way to the boy's dormitories. He took two steps before remembering he didn't actually know where his bed was.

He looked around the room looking for an empty bed or someone willing to help. Sadly, the soft snores that floated through the room told him that no one was awake, save for the students in the common room. He looked around the room again and saw his luggage near one Harry Potter and one Ron Weasley. Barely concealing his shock, Nico climbed over to his bed and opened the envelope. It said:

_Dear Nico,_

_Your quest is now completed seeing as I found the item in your pockets shortly after I had been notified of your return. Good job. I took the liberty of helping you to Madam Pomfrey's wing. Though the quest is completed, you shall remain at Hogwarts until the end of the semester to not draw suspicion. What you do is up to your choice._

_Sincerely,_

_Dad_

Nico shook slightly as he finished reading the letter. A soft smile had begun to spread across his face. It might not seem much, but the small "good job" brightened him up. Approval from Dad, he thought dreamily. With the main quest completed, he could start one of his own quests - hunting down Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"What's that?" a voice suddenly shook him out of his thoughts.

"Nothing," he said quickly.

"Is that a letter? Who's it from?" Ron asked sleepily.

Nico folded up the letter and hid it into his robes, "No one."

Unable to get answers. Ron shrugged and got up. The other Gryffindors soon followed. Nico quietly went to his classes, stairs spinning and twirling. Although he had noticed them the night before, Nico was still surprised every time the staircases moved. They seemed dead set on delaying everyone's journey to their classes and make them late.

Still, he made it to his various classes. Astrology bored Nico, and Herbology was a different story. Every plant did the exact opposite of what Nico had wanted, and he still wasn't over the vine, which he found was called a Devil's Snare, incident. He officially hated plants and everything plant like, even if they could easily heal wounds and do… things. He wasn't sure since he was busy trying to get off the bad side of every plant and didn't have the time, exactly, to pay attention.

History of Magic was more hard to endure than Astrology. After Professor Binns had gotten over the initial shock of Nico, he resumed teaching the class in a bland, monotone voice. Normally, history fascinated him, especially one that was so foreign, but the ghost had the most dull voice imaginable, droning over the heads of students, mainly talking to the wall. Nico thought that the professor should go back to the Underworld to serve out punishments by boring people to death. At least then another teacher would have to replace him.

Charms was interesting. Nico realized many tasks could easily be done with a simple swish and flick. Charms felt light and easy, bringing a different atmosphere for the demigod. Next up was Transfiguration. Much to his relief, first years don't learn how to transfigure humans. However, his ADHD brain didn't handle sitting and taking notes for much of the class very well. He constantly got distracted by various objects in the room and had to force himself to keep writing. When they finally got to the actual magic part, Nico was ready to bolt out of his seat. They were all given a match and had to try to turn it into a needle. Since all of his willpower was drained, he utterly failed to achieve the end result, much to his chagrin. Fortunately, all of the other students, save Hermione, failed as well.

Nico wondered how wizard defense were taught as he entered the class. He immediately wrinkled his nose at the smell of garlic and was thoroughly disappointed. He thought they'd get to use weapons or learn spells, but all they did that day was listen to Professor Quirrell talk about his turban. It gave off a deathly odor, or perhaps that was the garlic too. Nico was glad to leave the place. Potions were last, and they had it with the Slytherins. He took the seat furthest away from everyone and watched as the Professor came into the room.

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**A/N: Thank you all for reviewing! Sorry I couldn't respond to them all! As of right now, I'm trying to write an original fiction story, and I'm trying to get my hands on Blood of Olympus. Keyword: trying. My fanfiction muse is pretty dead right now, so I believe the next chapter will be the last one for a long time.**


	6. Chapter 6

The very first thing Professor Snape did was sneer at Harry Potter. Nico frowned as Draco and his gang giggled. Snape droned about the glories of potions while Nico pondered how well he'd do. Judging by Snape's obvious hatred toward Gryffindor's, not well.

"Potter!" Snape said suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Nico's quick reflexes caused him to suddenly snap up and out of his thoughts. Seeing no monsters, he forced his mind to catch up with his body. Asphodel, what? Did they actually have a root from the Fields of Asphodel? Nico doubted it, but in a world of demigods and apparently wizards, anything is possible.

"I don't know, sir," Harry mumbled.

Everyone in the class had confused expressions, except for the Slytherins who were delighted at seeing The Boy Who Lived fidget under Professor Snape's glare. Nico frowned. He might not be best friends with Harry, or really friends for that matter, but did Snape really have to harass him?

"Fame clearly isn't everything," Snape sneered. "Let's try again. Where would you look if I told you to find a bezoar?"

Nico noticed Hermione's hand waving in the air, trying to catch Snape's attention.

"I don't know, sir," Harry said.

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, Potter?"

Nico interrupted, "Excuse me, Professor, but I highly doubt anyone in this class knows what those things are, except for Hermione. Why don't you call on her?"

Snape turned coldly toward Hermione and snapped, "Sit down. Five points each from Gryffindor for your mouth and his ignorance. Now for your information, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Death. A bezoar is taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. Well? Why aren't you all copying this down?"

The sudden sound of quills scribbling over parchment could be heard. Nico wrote furiously. After a few sentences, his scribbling dulled down, and Nico wished they used pens instead of quills. The constant need for redipping his quill was beginning to annoy him. He wondered how hard it would be to sneak in a pen. After they had finished, they were put into groups for actual potions making. Nico was paired up with Hermione, who looked down at the prospect of making a simple potion - a cure for boils.

"Add six, er, seven cake fangs to the mortar?" Nico read.

Hermione narrowed her eyes and took the book from Nico.

"It says, 'add six snake fangs to the mortar'. Nico, can you read?" she questioned.

"I just have dyslexia," he said.

"Well, you better get it checked after class. Here, I'll read and you can get the ingredients."

Nico agreed silently and expertly gathered the ingredients, prepared them, and stirred them in. He felt it was just like summoning the dead, only much simpler. Easy as pie. The only thing different was that there were more steps to a potion. Nico watched as Snape passed by their cauldron without a single word to them. Nico smirked.

The other students, however, weren't doing as well. Clouds of sick green smoke filled the air and a sharp hissing sound erupted from a cauldron. It was Neville's and Dean's cauldron that melted and spewed out the horrendous odors. Their potion seeped onto the floor, burning holes into anything that wasn't stone. Nico climbed up onto the stool and watched as Neville suddenly erupted in red, irritated boils. He wailed in agony and Nico felt bad for him as he was whisked to the Hospital Wing. Nico watched as Professor Snape berated Harry and took points from Gryffindor yet again. Harry opened his mouth to protest, but he quickly shut it.

Within the next hour, Nico and Hermione were able to brew a perfect potion, one that brought a reluctantly impressed grunt from Professor Snape. They left the class and Nico wandered around the grand halls of Hogwarts. He had the afternoon off, so he could finally start his new quest. He was on the seventh floor when he felt Tom Riddle's soul again. Nico followed it and it led him to a brick wall. He frowned and walked around the wall, searching for a door. He walked around the corridors three more times just to be sure. This time, there was a door that definitely wasn't there the other times.

Stupid magic school, Nico thought as he entered the room. The room was packed with millions of trinkets, furniture, and various things. It was lined with colorful toys and everything Nico could think of. The room looked as if it stretched on forever, and the soul felt like it was buried under everything. Nico's senses reached out, and he could only get a blurry reading on where the soul was.

"Great," Nico mumbled.

He walked deeper into the room. Several items caught his eye, and he had to stop himself from checking them out. There were so many items, some that were centuries old. Nico stopped. The feeling of the soul stretched across three shelves, and Nico groaned. He would have to search each individual item to find the blasted thing! He slumped and started on the first shelf.

The first thing he found was a plain, silvery watch. Upon seeing that it displayed the current time accurately, Nico put it on. He didn't want to accidentally spend two weeks in there. Last time he did that… well, Nico didn't want to think about the last time he spent weeks searching for something only to forget how fast time flew by. He moved onto the other items. After searching for two hours and only finding lumps of dust, stupid hats, and a banjo, Nico sighed and left the room. He was sure that if he didn't show up at dinner, someone was going to get suspicious.

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**A/N: Here's that last chapter I have written! Thank you for all of the reviews! I appreciate them very much! Unfortunately, I didn't get BOO for Christmas, and I prefer reading a hard copy v.s. a digital copy. Fortunately, one of my friends did, so I'll get to read BOO anyway!**


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